Bendy and Buddies: The Next Gen
by CosmoK13
Summary: Nancy Drew loved to write stories and loved watching cartoons on the screen both in her home and in the cinema. After learning about her Uncle, Joey Drew, she heads to New York to follow her dreams to create her own show. Stumbling upon the Joey Drew workshop, she learns about the horrors her uncle did and meets his toons. In order to help the toons, she must reboot the Bendy show.
1. Prolouge

_**Hello my fellow Otaku's, I'm CosmoK13 here and welcome to a brand new story I'm going to be writing called Bendy and Buddies: The next gen! Now I'm sure a lot of you have probably heard of this new horror-puzzle game called Bendy and the Ink Machine. And for those who don't know, I'm going to explain. It's basically taking a look at the older days of animation and putting a dark twist on it. You play as a retired animator named Henry who goes back to his old workshop, after getting a letter from his boss and friend, Joey Drew. (Hehe, Joey DREW a picture.) When Henry gets there, he sees that the shop is abandoned and that there is a dark and inky secret lurking in the studios. Now you have to find your way out by solving a bunch of puzzles and avoiding ink monsters. It's still an ongoing project, with only two out of five chapters out, with chapter three coming out this September, which I'm looking forward to seeing! But anyways, I got into the franchise when I saw Markiplier and a bunch of other Youtubers play the first two chapters and I really love it! It's more thriller than horror in my opinion, but what it lacks for jumpscares it makes up for with story and style. I recommend playing it, you can get it on Steam or Gamejolt… I think for like 5 or 6 dollars. You can also support it by donating money to theMeatly, the creators of the game, on .**_

 _ **So anyways, I've seen a lot of different AU's and fan comics and fanfiction based on the game and decided that I should make my own! Seeing as how this is the first gaming franchise I've gotten into. This is also the first fanfiction I've ever written based off of a game… well, actually I wrote a FNAF story for my friend Tetra a few years back, but it was more for a birthday present. I might post that story if you all are interested in seeing it.**_

 _ **Moving along, I was going to base this off of the game, but then I decided to make an AU instead, since I've never really made one before and I wanted to try something different. I'm only going to be posting the prologue up for now. But I'll be posting more chapters with the more progress the game gets. I'm hoping to upload five more chapters after chapter three of BATIM is out. On with the story then!**_

He was famous… he was loved. He was adored by both children and adults. He had appeared in many short cartoons. He was a star, and nothing could have made him happier. That was until he was stolen from his original owners. To be used in another company cartoon, only to be used less and less until slowly, the world began to not even recognize the poor toon that was once the face of the family friendly company, gaining more and more popularity throughout the years.

One of his cartoons played on the small television set on the table. He was dancing around, smiling as he was climbing up the structure of a building to try and save his cat girlfriend. Those were his older cartoons, where his popularity was starting and growing. Now after nearly two decades after that short, he would soon be lost to the public. It was only a matter of time before one of these toons would fall victim to that fate. But the woman never would have thought it would happen to such an iconic star. She walked passed the television where the character was smiling and bowing to the audience. An audience he no longer had. The woman reached a bark door and placed her hand on the golden knob. On the other side of the room, was where she would attend to her project. Turning the handle, she entered the dark room, separated from her public work station. The only light that filled it was the illumination coming from the other room.

In this particular area, there were a couple of things. Six pedestals lined up towards a pentacle that was drawn in a black substance on the floor. There were a few cabinets and desks scattered around the room, but the pedestals and pentacle took up half of the vincenty. She walked passed the stone structures as her dark magenta skirt swayed with her hips.

On top of one of the desk sat an open book, its pages filled with a foreign and ancient language called _hiragana._ It was a writing style used long ago, and only a few these days could translate what it meant. The woman looked over the pages and retraced the steps she needed to take to accomplish her goals. Six materials were needed for the ritual. Opening one of the drawers in the desk, the woman grabbed a stack of clean papers and a blue and black fountain pen with a golden tip.

First, she placed the pen on one of the six pedestals. This object represented how this character came to life, the mechnications of what made the cartoon move frame by frame for endless hours. Then, she placed the stack of paper on another pedestal. After placing a bunch of sheets over the pentacle. The papers would represent where the character would come out of. It was really ironic, this toon started out being drawn on paper. And now he would pop out of the page one last time.

She walked over to another desk, where a sewing machine rested on the wooden structure. Gathering a few materials from the drawers of this desk, she began her work. First, she did an outline of the character's design on some tough paper. Using that pattern, she placed it onto two separate pieces of fabric, and traced them so they were on the soft material. Grabbing a pair of scissors, the light brown hands began to cut the outline of the character. After designing the front and back of the character, she had to sew the two pieces together and leave a small hole to stuff some cotton into the plush, to give it from. It took a lot of sewing and stuffing, as well as a few pins, but the stuffed animal was ready. All it needed were some blue shorts. The shorts weren't as hard to make as the doll, it only took the woman half the time to complete the outfit he would wear. It was a cute little stuffed hare, with his smiling face and glass doll eyes. The plush was a very important figure because it would represent the from the toon would take. After placing that object on the pedestal, the woman headed to find the other three items.

Heading over to some shelves, she looked through some boxes, containing a bunch of different records and films of certain cartoons and music. It didn't take long to find the one she was looking for. Grabbing a large case from the shelf, she placed it on the fourth pedestal. In the box was the collection of all the shorts the character had appeared in, from his first short to his very last. This item could be used for two purposes; it can either be used to give the character their voice or their memories. Though certain materials could be used to fulfill both those purposes, these shorts would only be used for the memory of the toon. She had thought about using certain cartoons to give him a voice as well, but since the character didn't have a specific voice actor, and none of them felt right for his one true voice, she decided against it and would give him a new pitch later on. He was a mute cartoon anyways, so a voice didn't seem to matter too much at the moment. At any rate, the memory was more important than the voice anyways, after all, at least he'll be able to understand why he will be where he will go. And he will have his dreams of who he used to be. That was all he will be able to have of his old life; memories.

The woman proceeded by heading over to the other side of the room, where a large cabinet was attached to the wall. Placing both hands on the the golden handles, she opened the wooden doors to reveal shelves of jugs. Jugs of pure, black liquified, ink. Taking out a random bottle, she placed it on the fifth pedestal in the room. This ink would be the substance the body would be made out of. After all, the creators at that time used ink to make these cartoons move around on the pictures. But there was more to this ink than one would think. Of course, it took specific materials to make this type of ink, getting those said materials and producing it though was the challenge. Thankfully, she had a whole cabinet of bottles full of them. So she didn't have to worry about running out anytime soon. She was going to be needing a lot more of them, especially for her project.

Heading back to the desk, she flipped over the book she used to help guide her with the ritual. Closing it so the cover was the first thing you would see. The title on the cover was the only thing written in English. "Toon Logic" was written on the light gray cover. Taking the book, she placed it on the last pedestal. All the pieces were now in place; a pen, a stack of papers, a doll, a few of the cartoons, ink and the book. With those items placed, it was time to start the ritual. The woman walked up to the pentacle, the symbol mostly covered with sheets of white papers. Raising both arms as high as she could, she began to draw up all of her magic from her being. Chatting a few incantations, the circle surrounding the star started to glow a dark gray as the magic began to flow from the woman and into the pentacle, into the paper as well. The papers were being drenched with ink from the center of the symbol. The blackness spread throughout the center of the pile until there was enough. The ink moved on it's own, taking volume though it was not in any fixed space. Rising like that of the tides, the ink started to form into that of a hand. A cartoon hand.

The pool of black liquid began to morph into a from. At first, it took a while for the ink to morph into a complete form. The ink poured down the figure until it started to stick to it's volume. The poor toon, that was on the television only moments ago, was now on his hands and knees in the circle, as the magic started to settle down. The woman stared down at the poor being for a moment, he looked broken and unhappy. Kneeling down, she reached out her arms and held him like a mother would a child. In a way though, she was his mother. After all, it was her magic that helped create him. Not just bring him into this dimension, but helped in producing the material needed for him to become a cartoon in the first place. That brought joy and smiles to the faces of many. And made him not just a character on the frames, but a sentient being that just wanted to be loved in return. Standing up on her feet once again, she could not help but feel pity for this poor creature. She blamed herself in a sense. If only she could have seen this future he would have had coming, then perhaps she could have done something to prevent it. These toons deserve a better life. Even those that didn't have a public anymore. This is why she was doing this, to try and save them before they would be tossed into the darkness again. To become the monsters they once were.

The woman turned her head as she heard footsteps approaching her from the stairs. She saw a being that was as tall as her chest. With it's inky dark skin and white kimono, it looked at her with it's big white eyes. "What is it, Jack?" the woman turned her body to look at the being as he bowed in respect.

"My lady, your guest has arrived upstairs. He is waiting for you."

She walked up to him, holding the toon in her arms. Looking at her helper, she nodded. "Let us go."

The two walked together up the golden stairs. The woman leading the way as the other was behind her. Even though this woman was powerful in the art of certain magic, in order to complete her goal, she needed the help of someone who was just as skilled as she was. After all, there was only so much her magic could do. She knew that this guest of hers would agree to this, after all, he loved these toons just as much as she does. And it was the only way to protect them and give them a chance to live. In a world they could call their own, with no humans to tell them how to live their lives. To tell them what they can and can't do. A world where their logic could be used with no repercussions. It will take time, yes. However, this was the only solution.

In the haste of meeting with her guest, the woman had forgotten to lock up her secert room, as the door was ajar, showing some light from within. Had she had known the events that would have taken place after she left, she would have put that as her first priority. But it was so late at this hour, and there was no one else in the store. At least, none that she saw. For once she and her assistant were already up the stairs, a shadowy figure lurked around the corner. It's eyes were on the open door where the ritual took place. It saw most of what happened, the cartoon character coming to life in this world. It was an incredible power, that could bring a two-dimensional character, into the world of the living. Yes! This is what it needed! What the shadow had been looking for. The figure smiled, as the possible ideas ran through it's mind.

The woman did not know who this figure was or what their purpose was. She did not know for a long time, but she did know that this shadow had some very bad intentions. And she could only wait for the shadow to reveal itself.

 _ **CosmoK13: And that my friends is the prologue for this story. I know, I know, where the hell is Bendy?! What did this have anything to do with the story? It will be explained soon enough, for now, I hope you all enjoyed the story. I'll also be posting the first five chapters but only after chapter three of BATIM comes out. Hopefully, that shouldn't take too long, maybe a few more weeks at best. Also, I'll be posting up some comics and pictures of this story on my dA account, just type Cosmok13 deviantart Thank you all so much for your support, and please go check out some BATIM stuff, whether it's a play through, or playing the game yourself or even donating on to support theMeatly. Please stay tuned for the upcoming chapters.**_


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One: Chasing a Dream**_

 _It all seemed like a dream. A dream that lasted years with laughs and tears, with characters old and new. Ones that she had found and ones she had made. Even though they were no longer with her, she knew that their memories would always be in her mind. And their spirits would always be in her heart. So, she would have to move on with her life. And take what she learned from her friends to better shape a new path for herself._

 **Ding!** Went the typewriter as the final page was done. Delicate hands gently took ahold of the top of the loose leaf material and placed it at the bottom stack of the pile by the machine's side. A smile graced the lips of the woman who wiped her brows of sweat. After so many days and night of writing on end, it was finally completed! Her very own book with an original plotline, relatable characters, and life lessons any child could comprehend! The woman took the stack of papers and neatly tapped them on the desk to make sure they were in order. The story was all there, she just needed to add the finishing touches. She looked up at the clock in her room and saw it was already seven.

"Oh wow, is it really that early in the morning?" The woman blinked as she stood up from her desk. She had been working on the last few chapters for her book for twelve hours now. Time really does fly when you are in the creative zone. She still had two hours before she had to be at the important gathering today. She placed her papers in a suitcase sitting on her bed and closed it. Lifting the handle, she headed out of her room as she grabbed her purse and rushed down the halls out the front door. Heading over to the shed, she grabbed her bike from inside. Placing the briefcase in the back of the seat and closing the lid shut, then placing her purse in the wooden basket on the front end, hopping on the seat, she was off. Pedaling her blue bike off from the dirt driveway, the young woman ventured off into the small town of Los Angeles.

Many were already out at this time. Why? Because it was Sunday, and in a few more hours, church would have its mass. Which is why she needed to hurry to get everything done. The woman waved to a few people as she rode off through the small town. She knew practically everyone that lived here, since she had spent her twenty years of life in this very town. While some did not find her appealing, she didn't let that get the better of her. Breaking in front of a small shop, she parked her bicycle in the bike rack, grabbed her briefcase and purse, and headed inside. The bell rung out throughout the store to signal she was here. Heading over to the front desk, she saw an older man looking through a few pictures. "Good morning, Mr. Sawnson."

The man in his forties turned from his stack of pictures to look at the young woman. A smile graced his pudgy face and lifted his mustaches a bit. "Ah. Miss Nancy! Such a pleasure to see you!" He clapped his hands together as he greeted her.

"I hope I'm not bothering you, I know that the morning mass will be starting in a while."

"I was about to get ready, but if you need something, please don't be afraid to ask," he assured her.

"I was just wondering if my cover for my book was done yet?" Nancy asked.

"Your book? Have you already finished it?!" Mr. Swanson gasped. "You've began working on that since the early days of fall. And now with April just around the corner, you've completed it?!"

Nancy nodded. "I finished it this morning. Pulled an all-nighter, but I was able to complete the last couple of pages. That's why I wanted to see if the cover was done, so I can add it onto the papers."

"Let me see here…" Mr. Swanson went over to a crate, and looked through the assortment. After a minute or two, he took out a soft covered image, a paperback cover, and gave it to Nancy. It was an image of a young girl, standing in a grassy plain, holding a bunch of flowers up to her chest. The girl looked nearly identical to Nancy herself. But the girl on the cover had bleach blonde hair and it flew with the wind. While Nancy had beeline blonde hair that was usually up in a bun. And Nancy had honey colored eyes, but the girl in the picture were more of a chocolate color. Still, Nancy thought the girl in the picture was perfect. She was based off of Nancy, but she wasn't her. Though, she longed to be the girl in the white summer dress, sniffing the flowers and letting her troubles drift away.

Snapping back to reality, Nancy took the cover and opened her briefcase to take out her stack of papers. She carefully placed them in the cover and closed the newly made book. "My, that must be your thickest one yet!" Mr. Swanson noted. "Are you going to publish it now?"

"Yeah," Nancy nodded. "I'm getting it published so I can enter it into the contest."

"I'll be sure to read it once it gets published! Me and my wife love your stories."

"Thank you, Mr. Swanson." With a wave goodbye, the woman headed out of the store with her new book in her briefcase. Hopping on her bike, Nancy rode off further into the town. Making a quick stop at the bakery to get herself a donut for breakfast, she soon headed over to her final destination. Parking her bike once again, she headed inside the small building and towards the desk.

A woman sat behind the wooden table as Nancy approached. The middle aged woman looked at her with her round rectangular glasses, similar to Nancy's, and asked in a timely voice, "Yes?"

"I'm here to see Miss Taylor. Is she in?"

"Oh yes, I'll let her know you are here," she told Nancy. Standing up from her desk, the woman went to the back door and onto the other side. She waited a bit, and after a minute or two, the older lady came out. "Miss Taylor is ready to see you now." With a nod, Nancy walked around the desk and headed into the room the woman was just in.

Stay calm, Nancy told herself. She had been through this before. About two or three times already. She knew the drill. She had to get this book published so she can enter it into the contest! She had to get it in there! Heading over to the desk in the room, Nancy was greeted by a more younger woman than the one from the previous room. However, this lady, you could tell she was more stern than any of the people Nancy had met today. Her beady eyes glared at the blonde and her beak shaped nose made her as intimidating as a hawk. Nancy swallowed her fears as she gazed at the woman. "G-good morning, Miss Taylor."

The woman eyed over the figure of Nancy and with narrowed eyes, she went straight to business. "Miss Drew, what brings you here?"

"I-I am sorry to be meeting you at a time like this-"

"You are aware that church will be starting in less than an hour, correct? And you are supposed to be there helping out."

"I am aware," Nancy assured, with a slight bit of confidence. "I have come here to give you my latest work to have it published." Handing over the briefcase, Miss Taylor opened it and took out the book that Nancy had written.

"So, you've written another book?"

"Oh yes, I've been working on it since fall," Nancy explained as Miss Taylor took the book with her to her desk and started to skim through the pages. "It's about this girl who moves to a new area all on her own. She finds it difficult to comprehend at first, but then she finds a mysterious and isolated place that she goes to to get inspiration for her life. She finds out the place is possessed by strange creatures, and after befriending them, she starts to gain a lot of courage and self-esteem. When her friends are in trouble, she has to find a way to help them. It's a magical genre with a lot of life lessons about finding your way and never giving up on your friends. The younger kids will like it."

"Hmm…" Miss Taylor skimmed the pages of the book, already judging it. "The idea seems like it's been used a bit in a lot of other stories. Yet, it seems you thought a lot about this book."

"I've worked days and nights on end for this story! I want to make it the best one for this generation to enjoy and learn a lot from. It's true that a lot of other stories inspired me in my plot, but the characters and conflict itself is original in my views. I just know that a lot of people will love it."

"And you've proofread it so it has minimum spelling errors?"

"Three times over."

"And you made the cover yourself?"

"Correct."

"Well, I'll give you credit for a very imaginative artwork," Miss Taylor noted. "But seeing how thick the book is, proves you've poured out a lot of emotion in this book. And I haven't gotten anything else from any of the others. I suppose since I have nothing else planned for today, I could take a look at it and see if it is worthy of being published to the public. Thank you for the book, Miss Drew."

Nancy embarrassingly smiled. She was able to keep her confidence throughout the meeting. While her book wasn't exactly ready to get published yet, and she still had a lot of work to do with her editor/publisher, she had to get it out there no matter what! She would not miss this opportunity to get her book the award it deserves! "If there is nothing more you'd like to discuss with me, then please see your way out." Miss Taylor waved her hand at her.

Coming back to reality, Nancy blushed lightly as those bird-like eyes were on her. Nodding and gulping down her fears, Nancy walked out of the door. Closing it behind her, she let out a huge sigh of relief. She survived yet another meeting with Miss Taylor.

"You came out alive once again," the receptionist stated toward Nancy.

The blonde couldn't move for a while. Miss Taylor was known to be the best editor and publisher in the whole town. She could sell your books not only all across Los Angeles, but across all of America! Nancy was able to get her as her publisher when she began writing. The first book she wrote, Miss Taylor took it from Nancy, tore it in half, and threw it to the ground and stomped on it. Calling it a joke. The second one she handed over to her, Miss Taylor wasn't as violent as last time. But said that it was more of a rough draft and that not even Shakespeare could comprehend it. This time, Miss Taylor was actually kind enough to compliment her on her work. All she had to do was wait for her to finish reading the story, meet up with her again, and work out the details for the publication.

"I don't know how, but I know I can get this book published to the public!" Nancy told herself.

"Well, you'll have to wait until after Miss Taylor comes back from church."

Nancy blinked at the words the receptionist said. Turning her head to the side, she saw that it was already five minutes passed nine thirty. Her eyes widened as she gasped. She was going to be late! She made her way around the desk, hurried out the door, and hopped on her bike. Pedaling her way from the building and towards her new destination. How could she have not kept her eyes on the time?! If she showed up late again, her grandfather would not forgive her. She biked like the devil himself was chasing behind her. Even though if she was late, the fate she would suffer would be much worse than Satan himself. The church was up ahead, on the hill where it sat alone. Save for a few trees and flower beds. A lot of people were already walking up from the parking lot down below. Nancy pedaled up the grassy hill and placed her bike next to the large tree. Only two minutes left! Heading inside from the back, Nancy walked in, grabbing her white outfit and threw it over her clothes. Rushing inside through the halls, she soon caught up with the choir who were standing in their spots, getting ready to sing the songs. Nancy hurried over to her spot, just as they were about to sing the first verse of the first song. Straightening her gown, she began to sing in harmony with the rest of the choir. Somehow, she made it. And she can only hope that no one noticed her coming in at the last second.

* * *

It was a whole hour before the end of the church session. Nancy stepped down from the choir post and headed back to the back to put away her church gown. Another Sunday had passed, at least. The music conductor of the choir praised everyone for their wonderful singing and harmony. Before he left, he glared over at Nancy for a second. The blonde felt that tension and, for a moment, she felt her blood freeze over. So much for no one knowing she was late again. After he left, Nancy grabbed her belongings and made her way to the door.

"Did you notice that Nancy Drew was late again?" one of the boys from the choir said to the others.

"You think being related to the head of the church, she would take her Catholic duties seriously," a girl stated.

"Must be a huge embarrassment for the priest to know his own granddaughter can't even be punctual to his own work," another boy snickered.

Nancy gripped the door handle tightly as she listened to those words. Not even bothering to listen anymore, she headed out the door and walked far from the church. "Don't listen to them, Nancy," she told herself. "It's not like they would understand you, anyways."

"Nancy!" Turning her head around, the girl looked to see an older man coming towards her. He wore a priest outfit and his hair was a mixture of dark brown with gray streaks. His rectangular glasses made his black eyes look twice the normal size. And twice as angry.

"G-grandpa!" Nancy stuttered as the old man was only a foot away from her. "Y-you did well at today's gathering…"

"Do not praise me right now, child!" he snapped at Nancy. "Mr. Thomas told me he saw you come in late once again. I even overheard the other singers state how disgraceful you were."

"Grandpa, I'm sorry. I was somewhere else and I got here as soon as I-"

"I don't want to hear anymore excuses. What were you really doing?" he demanded as he crossed his arms over his chest. Nancy blinked a few times and looked down at the ground. His harsh stare only made her more nervous about her answer. But she knew that lying would only be worse.

"I went to my publisher and had them take a look at the book I've been working on since last fall. She's planning on checking it over and getting back to me about it later today."

"You're still working on becoming an author?"

"Of course. It's my dream, and I want to do my best to reach it. I'm close, I just know I am."

"Unbelieveable. I try to help you and your mother out by giving you spots in my church. And yet you go around, chasing a pointless dream when you could focus on trying to make up for what your mother has done."

Nancy closed her eyes halfway as her grandfather scolded her. Even if she would have talked back to him, it only would have made the situation far worse. All her grandfather ever wanted from her was to be a part of the church and be a Christian child. However, the religion was never Nancy's top priority. She just didn't feel like she could really be part of the church or the religion itself. In all honesty, she hated it. But she knew it was what her grandfather and her mother wanted from her. They only wanted her to be the person they wanted her to be.

Without much else to say, Nancy's grandfather walked off, disappointment clearly on his face.

All Nancy did as she walked down the streets was sigh to herself. She had left the church a while ago after helping clean up, and was just wandering around town. She wasn't ready to head home just yet, knowing full well her grandfather was there. After this morning with her being late once again, she didn't feel she could face him again so soon. She might as well just walk through town and gather some supplies for her work. "Let's see… I just need some paper and ink." Nancy told herself. It wouldn't take her that long, but it would give her something to do. Walking her bike to the nearest store, she couldn't help but wonder if her book would get published anytime soon. She really needed the money to try and get by on her life. To finally make one for herself somewhere. It would take a long while, even if this book got published.

Heading out of the store with the bag of supplies, she hopped on her bike and started to pedal back to her house. Seeing as how she had nothing else to do today, and prolonging the inevitable would only make her feel even more regret. Besides, she needed to be near the phone in case her publisher called to tell her that her book was out. Heading down the path, Nancy passed by a few of her favorite stops. One of them was the outdoor concert hall that featured at the park near the church. It was fairly large with a lot of space for people to stand or sit on the grass. There was also a huge screen in the background. Most of the time, they would come there to listen to a bunch of bands playing their gigs. In the past, it was used to watch some of the old cartoons during the warmer months. A sort of replacement for the old cinema that went out of business near her own house. Nancy could still remember when she used to go there as a child, to watch the cartoons on the big screen go on their adventures. She loved those days where she could just be herself in an area of her own. Well, she was still with people, but they didn't tell her what to do. She was upset that the old cinema was gone, and the concert hall didn't feel quite the same. But it was still fun to watch them on the screen. And outdoors, no less!

Halfway home though, she would take a glance at another place she was fond of. Stopping around the corner of the block, she looked through the fence to see a bunch of men walking around with stacks of newspapers in their arms. They delivered the morning newspapers every morning and help print them out. They even have some journalists there and people who make the comics for the kids! It looked like they were preparing the preparations for tomorrow's paper at the moment. Scanning the area, Nancy was soon able to land her honey eyes on one young man, holding a clipboard and talking to one of the other workers.

Resting her hand in her palm, she looked out to see the one she had a huge crush on: the one with the fluffy chocolate hair and those handsome eyes that matched his head perfectly. He loved to wear mostly a white t-shirt with an open collar and brown overalls! Nancy breathed a sigh as she couldn't help but look at him working hard. She only knew a little bit about him, such as his name was Harry. Though she didn't know his last name. She had bumped into him a few times in town now and then, but they never really had a full on conversation. Still, Nancy thought he was handsome, and even though she wanted nothing more than to talk to him and ask him out, she didn't have the courage. She couldn't just write herself to do that task, she wasn't her own character she could just control. This was real life, and people act differently here. She sighed, knowing that going to him would only embarrass her. Pedaling down the road once again, the boy of her dreams would once again go another day without knowing her feelings.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set once she made it home. Nancy placed her bike back in the shed next to the house and headed inside. "I'm home," she called out in the entryway. Taking off her shoes, she headed to the kitchen where she could smell dinner being cooked. She looked to see an older woman cutting up some potatoes and placing some steaks into a thick pan on the burner. Nancy walked up to the counter as the woman in the kitchen saw her.

"Hey sweetie, you're home later," the woman said to Nancy as she wiped her hands on her apron.

"Yeah, had to get a few things for my work. By the way, did anyone call here to talk to me?"

"I've been too busy with dinner, so I don't know."

"You don't have to worry, child!" the two women turned their heads towards the living room, where a much older lady was sitting on the couch, knitting. Her gray hair was put up in a bun, like Nancy's. "Miss Taylor hasn't called you yet. I've been keeping my ears on that phone for you."

Nancy walked over to the elder and kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks, grandma." The woman nodded and went back to her work. "By the way, where's grandpa?"

"He's in his study, trying to plan a few events for the church," the lady in the kitchen told Nancy. "They're going to be having their anniversary coming up pretty soon. Isn't that exciting!?"

"Y-yeah, mom." Nancy rubbed the back of her head. "Do you need any help with dinner?"

"That would be much appreciated, dear." Nancy headed into the kitchen to help her mother cook the rest of tonight's meal. Steak, baked potatoes, and peas. Her grandfather's favorite dish. That he usually eats on special occasions or to help calm him down.

It was later that night that Nancy, her mother, and her grandparents sat at the table to eat. For a long time, they ate in silence. Nancy's grandfather was focused on his plate of food. Nancy was barely eating. After today's events, she couldn't help but feel like the world is judging her. She was waiting for a call from her publisher if the book would be published soon. But it was the judging happening in the kitchen that Nancy had to face now. The silence alone told everyone how upset the grandfather was.

"So, dad, how's the church coming along?" Nancy's mother asked her father.

The old man looked up, his sunken wrinkles only added to his intimidating features. "It's fine," he bluntly stated as he tore at his steak. Nancy winced at his action, but her mother and grandmother didn't seem phased. In fact, it was her grandmother that spoke to him next.

"How is everyone at the church doing?"

"They're fine as well. Some of their kids are graduating this year. And a few will be starting their first year of school in the fall."

"Will some of them be helping out at the church this summer?" Nancy was able to gather the courage to ask.

Those gray eyes stared at Nancy, giving her even more goosebumps. "Some will, others are planning to get jobs of their own and start looking at colleges. And others are planning on leaving the town for work in another state or will be going to college in another state. But there are those that are faithful to the church and will be helping out as much as they can." Nancy looked back down at her plate. Can't say she didn't walk into that one. The elder man stood up from the table and looked at his daughter.

"Good work on the meal, Emily. I'll be heading back to my study."

"Would you like me to bring you some dessert?" Emily asked her father.

"Very well, I could use the food. It'll be a long night for me." Without another word, he left the table and headed through the halls to his study. Emily sighed as she began to take the plates from the table. Nancy sighed as well as she watched her mother wash up the dishes. The young woman felt a hand on her arm. She looked up to see her grandmother smiling at her.

"Don't mind your grandpa, dearie. He's just stressed with the church stuff."

"You always say that to defend him, though." Nancy looked away. Her grandmother frowned and it seemed she wanted to say more. However, Nancy walked away from the table and gathered the plates to help her mother clean up dinner.

Nancy was staring at her typewriter on her desk. She had retreated back to her room after helping clean up the kitchen. Her eyes were on the device but her ears were listening for the ringing of the phone in her room. She couldn't risk missing this call. Nancy placed her elbows on the desk and rested her chin in her hands. She thought that if she stared at the typewriter long enough, it could make the phone ring with her publisher on the other end. It was times like this that Nancy wished she could have the power where if she could write it, it would come to life. Ha, as if that were possible.

A knock came from the door and Nancy looked up to see her mother coming into her room. "Oh, hey mom." Nancy smiled as her mother walked up to her and the desk. "Is there something that you need?"

"I just wanted to check how you were doing. You seem to be under a bit of anxiety right now."

Nancy gave her mom a light smile. "I'm just waiting to see if my new story gets published. I know this one will get further than my last two! But I can only wait until then."

Emily Drew leaned against the desk and looked at the typewriter. She could remember how happy Nancy was when she had received this gift on her birthday. "I still remember when you got that typewriter. You were so happy to start using it to make your stories more professional."

"You and grandma worked hard to get enough money for me to buy this for my birthday." Nancy sighed at the memory.

"You certainly had a passion when it came to storytelling. The children at the church loved your retelling of some of the Biblical events like Joseph and the colorful coat. Or the last supper Jesus had before his death. The parents even loved them."

"Those were stories that were already told. They don't really like my original works."

"That's not true, the second book you finished was loved by many members of the church and town."

"But it didn't get published," Nancy corrected.

"That just made the few copies you had even more precious," Emily tried to cheer her daughter up.

"I know what you're trying to say, mom." Nancy turned in her chair to finally face her mother in the eyes. "You're telling me not to get my hopes up too high, because in case I don't get this one published, I'll just feel worse."

"Nancy," Emily tried to be stern but was failing. "I just don't want you to think you can make a career out of what you're doing right now. It takes a lot of skill and work to make many books that will be selling at high prices. I just don't want you to think you can make your life revolve around this."

"So you want me to spend the rest of my life helping out at the church instead?" Nancy challenged.

"That's not what I said."

"Mom, we both know that's what you really mean!"

"Nancy…" Emily gently sighed.

"I don't want to spend the rest of my helping out at the church! I want to have my own life. Not a life dedicated to my grandpa and his work! Not a life dedicated to… to… what you and dad did," Nancy muttered the end of her sentence.

Emily perked up as she heard what her daughter said at the end of her statement. For a moment, Emily Drew had anger radiating in her eyes. But it left as quickly as it came as it was replaced with guilt and sorrow. Emily placed herself on Nancy's bed and held her head with a single hand. She didn't say anything.

Nancy rubbed her left arm up and down as she saw how her mother was feeling right now. She knew this was thin ice she was treading on, but it was true. She sat down next to her mom and looked at her. "I don't like to bring it up. But it doesn't change the fact that I am here."

"I know…" Emily sighed.

Nancy didn't know what to say at first, but an idea came to her mind. "Can you tell me what dad was like?"

Emily looked back at her daughter for a moment, then turned away as a smile reformed on her face. "He was a real soldier. When it came to physical work, he could do just about anything. I still remember when he came back from the war. He saw so much death and blood, it took him years before he was stable. But, he was a loveable man. It was love at first sight when he came to the church for the first time to try and be forgiven for all the death he caused. He would have been a good father if not for…" Emily trailed off as she lowered her head.

Nancy placed a hand on her mother's shoulder. "I wish I could have met him."

"You would have loved him," Emily nodded.

Nancy stood up from the bed and gave her mother a smile. "Mother, you loved him. And he loved you. You may have been young at the time, but that doesn't change the fact that your feelings weren't blinded. Without him, I wouldn't be here. I just want to prove to you, to grandpa, that I am not what he thinks I am."

"Nancy…" Emily stood up and hugged her daughter. The two embraced for a long while, until another knock on the open door interrupted them. They both turned to see Kathy Drew, Nancy's grandmother, enter with a plate that has peach cobbler on it.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"No, it's alright, mom," Emily assured.

"The cobbler was finished cooling off, why don't you take it to Matthew? I'm sure by now he would love some food with how late he plans to be working."

"I can deliver the dish to him," Nancy offered. Emily looked at her daughter and gave her a smile. Taking the dish from her grandmother, Nancy headed out of her room and made her way through the rest of the house to where her grandfather's study was. She looked through the glass door to see him writing on a bunch of documents. His glasses falling on the bridge of his nose. Nancy knocked on the glass door and went in. "Hey Grandpa, are you busy?"

The old man looked at his granddaughter as she approached him. He didn't answer, just went back to looking over the documents. Nancy ignored the response, or lack thereof, and placed the plate on his desk. "Mom wanted me to bring you some peach cobbler since you might be working late tonight. We don't want you to overdo yourself, though." Nancy laughed a bit, but that got no response from the elder. Coughing slightly, she tried to think of something else to say. "Um… I can see you're really busy, so I'll be going. Good night, grandpa." Nancy turned around and headed for the door to leave. As she reached for the handle, her grandfather called to her.

"Child…" Nancy turned around to see her grandfather staring at her. Stern eyes wearing her down. Though she had learned to withstand them and not back down, she could still feel her blood freeze. "How much do you care about the church?"

It was an unexpected question. Nancy's grandfather never really asked her opinion on how she felt about the religion this family held dearly. True, she never really had a deep connection with it as her grandparents and her own mother. Well, it was more of a family tradition anyways on her mother's side. Still, Nancy had to answer.

"I…" She paused, trying to find the right words. She wanted to say that she didn't care about the religion, about the church. She just cared about wanting to get her own job, her own life, not dictated by a group or even her family belief. But she couldn't. "I just want to make you happy. I know the church means so much to you, and my mom and I want to make sure you don't push yourself with the work. So we want to help out as much as possible."

"You're mom and grandma are the only two that are really helping me at this point. All you have done so far is focus on your stories and publication." Nancy looked away at her grandfather for a moment. She knew this was coming. "I've allowed you to work on your stories as well as your career, but only if you fully commit to helping out the church."

"I know…" Nancy could only say.

"You clearly have no intentions of giving up your dream, so telling you to stop with your ridiculous chase of your passion is out of the question. But I expected you to at least take some work on your shoulder. What have you been doing for the church these last few years?"

"Well…" Nancy began as she fiddled with her fingers. "I've been helping out events by gathering the supplies you need. I've also been singing with the choir. And I've also read stories to the kids as well as writing out the younger version of the bible so the kids can take them home to learn from them."

"I'll admit, you do have a gift when it comes to writing and drawing. But I don't want you to get any ideas that those skills alone will help you in this world. It is not a forgiving place, and the sooner you realize reality, the easier it will be for the both of us."

"... I understand…" Nancy could only tell her grandfather.

"Tell your mother that the cobble is decent, but that I would like for her to deliver it next time. Save you the trouble of her decisions."

Nancy nodded as she left the study. The dread crawled up her being as it always did when she talked to her grandfather. It was always like this ever since she could remember. No matter how much she tried, she could never live up to what he expected of her. It's not her fault, she never asked for her mother and her father to commit to something so intimate before they fully settled down! Why was she taking the blame from the actions of her parents? Heck, one of them was dead and the other was doing everything she could to make up for the last twenty years.

It was because of her grandfather's anger, her mother's apologizes, and her parents' work that she wants to try and prove herself. Show that she wasn't a mistake! That she could make something of herself with the gift that she had gotten! Her love of stories and television, her passion for writing and drawing. She felt she could use that to get somewhere. She didn't care, so long as she didn't have to rely on the church for her support.

Deep inside, she was fed up with everything. She loved her mom and her grandma. And this town was all she ever knew. It's just that she wanted nothing more than to be her own person. She wanted to leave this town, get away from the church and her grandfather and make her own mistakes! Well, okay, maybe not ones that could alter her life, but one that she could make that no one can tell her are wrong! She wouldn't be tied down to the family religion, she could be free to choose how to spend her days with someone or somewhere. Make her own story, rather than having someone write out the script for her. Interact with the characters she had connected with herself, not ones that she is forced to work with that don't even acknowledge her. One day, she would be on her own. She would be successful, free, and happy. She just had to keep going, get better at her work, and hope that it would pay off.

Nancy walked through the house and was heading back to her room. It had been a long day, and after that conversation with her grandfather, she wanted to get some sleep and wait for tomorrow. Hopefully the next day will be better than the one she had gone through. Wishful thinking, yes, but things can only get better from here, right? Nancy always told herself that, and she was able to get through it. When she got to her room, she went to her drawer and took out a night gown. Taking off her clothes, then tossing on her nightwear, she flopped on the bed and sighed. Taking in the sweet scent of the sheets on her bed. Some sleep is just what she needed to ease her mind. As she made it under the covers and was about to turn off the light, the phone on her nightstand rung out. She jumped at bit, not prepared for the machine to ring. Hesitantly, she reached out and grabbed the phone. Holding it to her ear, she responded. "H-hello?"

"Miss Drew." It was Miss Taylor! Nancy held the phone tightly as she listened to her publisher. "I trust you are still awake at this hour."

"Y-yes! M-may I ask why you are calling?" Nancy's heart raced. The last two times that Miss Taylor called Nancy was to tell her that her books were too terrible to published. She rejected them and Nancy was heartbroken. After everything that happened today, the last thing she wanted was some more bad news before she got some sleep. She held her breath, waiting to hear what her publisher would say.

"I am calling about the book you brought in for me this morning. I read over it today and have reached a conclusion." Nancy held her breath. This was the moment of truth. "And… I must admit, it was surprisingly well done."

Nancy froze, she had thought she would be criticized by how awful her work was. Was she hearing her correctly? Did Miss Taylor, the most picky of all publishers, say that her book was 'surprisingly well done?'

Miss Taylor went on. "The wording is well placed in the right tenses, the main character is one any girl in her position can relate to, and the images you added really help paint the scene that is going on. It may not be a book for younger girls, but it certainly is a decent enough novel to pass for a coming of age story to help any girl at that time with their life."

"S-so, you liked my book?"

"Well, I personally cannot say that I enjoyed it to a degree. However, it did hold my attention long enough for me to want to read to the next chapter. And the one after that. And the one after that. And so forth until I finished it. Out of all the works you have done, this one is passable to me. Therefore, I will market the novel out to the public and make sure everyone reads it. So long as you agree that I can publish it."

"Yes! O-of course!" Nancy could barely contain her excitement! She jumped on the bed as this news reached her ear. She slightly coughed, trying to be professional for just a moment. "I would like you to start on copying the novel and distribute them as soon as possible."

"I'll be sure to get about a hundred copies out by tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Miss Taylor, thank you so much!"

"I must be honest, it was a pleasure." Miss Taylor hung up. Nancy placed the phone on the stand and let out a squeal. She had done it! It took three books, but one of them was getting published to the public! Her hard work, that classes she had to take… They were all worth it! Now she could finally get her name out there in the world! It started with one book, but soon, she'll be having a whole series. With a book out, she would be able to get some money as well! She would soon become rich from her books alone. She would soon become more powerful with her writing. And she would soon become successful as well! Her dreams weren't shattered, and they weren't going to be anytime soon. Nancy believed that she would get this far one day, and that day was finally here. All she had to do was be patient and see how the townspeople react to her story. If she could gain enough popularity, then she knew she would be going places.

Laying back on her bed and covering herself up, Nancy shut her eyes and drifted to sleep, happy knowing things were finally going her way.


End file.
